Two children, a nine-year-old girl and an unidentified boy, have been confirmed dead after they were swept away by floodwaters during a heavy downpour in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Monday afternoon.
The tragedy occurred in the Tunga community following hours of persistent rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems, submerged roads, and brought movement across the area to a standstill.
Channels Television gathered that the girl, said to be the only daughter among three siblings, had been sent to the Tunga Market—approximately two kilometers from her residence—to buy soup ingredients.
She was accompanied by her 11-year-old brother.
Despite the early signs of worsening weather, the children set out under an umbrella during a lull in the rain.
Eyewitnesses said the rain soon returned with intensity, causing flash floods that filled the roads and open drainages.
The children, returning from the market, encountered the deluge when the girl reportedly slipped into one of the major drainage channels constructed decades ago by Julius Berger during the Ibrahim Babangida military administration.
Her slippers and nylon shopping bag were found at the edge of the channel.
According to residents, her brother attempted to raise an alarm and called for help as he watched his sister being swept away, but bystanders were unable to assist due to the strength and height of the floodwaters.
The boy ran back home to alert their parents.
Hours later, the father of the girl was contacted to identify a corpse discovered at a drainage outlet along Mandela Road, over five kilometers from where she had fallen in.
Shockingly, he found not only his daughter’s body but also that of another young boy believed to have died in the same flood.
When contacted last night, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Hussaini Ibrahim, expressed sadness over the incident, stating that the agency was not previously aware of the tragedy.
The agency is not aware of the disaster, but my people will visit the home of the girl at Tunga tomorrow to meet with the parents, he told Channels Television.
The latest incident adds to the growing concern about urban flooding and the need for improved drainage and public safety awareness during the rainy season in Niger State.
A flooding in Mokwa area of Niger State in May claimed over 150 lives and destroyed several houses.
